Means to maintain a. suitable pressure in the liquid-fuel-storage tanks of airplanes



Oct. 23, 1923. 1,471,417

. A. C. E. RATEAU M ANS TO MAINTAIN A SUITABLE PRESSURE IN THE LIQUIDFUEL STORAGE TANKS OF AIRPLANES Filed Nov. 7. 1922 Source of air underpressure f I ENTOR. m/ dwfl 22: 41.! 415224...-

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Get. 23, 1923.

AUGUSTE CAHILLE EDMOND RATEAU, 0F PARIS, FRANCE.

MEANS TO MAINTAIN A SUITABLE PRESSURE IN THE LI QUID-FUEL-STORAGE TANKS0F AIR'PLANES. 4

Application filed November '0, 1922. Serial No. 599,519.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTE CAMILLE EDMOND RATEAU, a citizen of theRepublic of France, and resident of Paris, France, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Means to Maintain a Suitable Pressure inthe Liquid-Fuel-Sto-rage Tanks of Airplanes, of which the following is aspecification.

My inventionrelates to means adapted to increase the air pressure in theliquid fuel storage tank of an airplane above the pressure of thesurrounding atmosphere, when the airplane reaches higher altitudes, theairplane being propelled by means of a supercharged motor, 1. e.; amotor operating with air supplied at a greater pressure than that of thesurrounding atmosphere.

Airplanes and all other types of flying machines equipped withsupercharged motors frequently use pumps to displace the fuel liquid ofthe tank or tanks in which it s stored, in such a manner as to dischargeit directly or indirectly to the carburetor or carburetors. The pumpshave to overcome the difference in pressure existing between thesurrounding air and the air fed under.

pressure to the motor: they have further to overcome friction losses inpiplng. Under these conditions it frequently occurs that theseapparatuses when reaching certa n altitudes where the surroundingpressure is low, do not perform their duties rel ably and discharge theliquid fuel in an irregular manner which causes misses in the motor.

By means of my invention I supply the liquid fuel to the pump or pumpsat a sufficiently constant pressure regardless of the altitude.

The figure is a diagrammatic vertical cross-secti on through oneembodiment of my invention.

liquid fuel from tank B Pump A receives through pipe 8 and dischargesthe liquid fuel wide to cover the orifice 13 of pipe G. Between pipe Gand pipe 11 is interposed chamber H in which is located a closed box I,the upper and lower sides of which are two diaphragms. Box I controlsdirectly piston F b means of stem J. Spring K held by a justable nut Lallows for the regulation of the apparatus-this is to say, theregulation of the pressure in tank B to a predetermined value. M is ahole in nut L allowing atmospheric pressure to enter pipe G and to reachtank B when piston F in its downward course clears orifice 13. O is astop for lower diaphragm of box I. Syis a source of air under pressure,such as a supercharger. X is theairplane motor.

As the airplane ascends box I dilates until piston F closes orifice 13.Atmospheric pressure is cut off from tank 13. When piston F ascendsfurther orifice 13 becomes open and the air pressure of conduit Dthrough pipe E, pipe G and pipe 11 reaches tank B.

When the air pressure supplied by conduit v D is too high, it compressesbox I closing partially or completely orifice 13. It will be seen thatthe pressure maintained by means of reducing valve 10 in tank B is onlya fraction of the pressure prevailing in conduit D.

It will 'be seen that I provide means to maintain the suction of pump Asufficiently constant to provide for its proper and reliable operation.

Further fuel tank B having to deal with 7 light pressures can be builtof thin plate, the saving of weight being of material importance.

When tank B is in communication with the atmosphere it has no pressureto take care of and when this communication is cut off tank B has tocontend with the air pressure controlled by reducing valve 10 which canbe adjusted to maintain approximately the pressure of the atmosphereprevailing at the time atmospheric pressure was cut off.

I claim: 1

1. In a fuel feeding device for a flying machine propelled by asupercharged motor means to control the pressure in the fuel tank whichconsists in reducing the pressure of the air under pressure delivered tothe motor and applying said reduced pressure to the fuel tank.

2. In a fuel feeding device for a flying machine propelled by asupercharged motor means to control the pressure in the fuel tank bycutting ofi? the communication of the fuel tank with the surroundingatmos-' phere when it reaches a predetermined value and thereafter appiing the pressure of the air delivered by th s supercharger to the motorautomatically reduced so as to maintain in the fuel tank a pressuresubstantially equal to the pressure of the atmosphere prevailing at thetime of the cut off.

3. In a fuel feeding device for a flying machine propelled by asupercharged motor automatic means to close the communication of thefuel tank with atmosphere for a predetermined value of surroundingatmos- 15 pheric pressure and means to reduce the pressure of the airunder pressure delivered to the motor adapted to maintain in the fueltank a pressure substantially equal to the pressure of the atmosphere atthe time such pressure was cut oil,

4L. In a fuel feeding device for a flying machine propelled by asupercharged motor and havin a pump adapted to displace the liquid fuelfrom a tank to the carburetor, means to maintain the pump suction Withinan acceptable range for its proper operation which consists insubmitting the liquid fuel Within the tank to a fraction of the pressureof the air delivered to the motor by the supercharger.

AUGUSTE (CADllllLlLE EIDBIQND IRATEAU.

